Hypervariable region

A hypervariable region (HVR) is a location within a sequence where polymorphisms frequently occur. It is used in two contexts:

  • In the case of nucleic acids, an HVR is where base pairs frequently change. This can be due to a change in the number of repeats (which is seen in eukaryotic nuclear DNA) or simply low selective pressure allowing a great number of substitutions and indels (as in the case of mitochondrial DNA D-loop and 16S rRNA).
  • In the case of antibodies, an HVR is where most of the differences among antibodies occur. This region is also called the complementarity-determining region.

Because there already is a separate article for the antibody region, this article will focus on the nucleic acid case.

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